1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming technique and to a data processing technique in an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, multi-function peripheral devices with various functions added to a digital copier as a base have been in practical use. Workflows can be transmitted and received between devices, and between a device and an information processing device (PC), but there are limitations on the number and the size of the workflows that can be stored in the device, and failures frequently occur when importing workflows. Furthermore, because it takes a large amount of time to import a large amount of workflows, it is preferable that the processing be successful in one import operation.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-302093 proposes detecting whether or not a total size of the image file exceeds the remaining capacity of the storage region on the server when uploading the image from a client PC to a server. Then, in the case where the capacity of the storage region is exceeded, images of an amount that will not exceed the capacity are automatically selected and uploaded based on the degree of similarity between these images.
Inexecutable workflows that remain registered in the device are a major factor causing the number and the size of workflows to exceed device capacity. As a solution, these inexecutable workflows can be deleted, but a new problem then arises in that it is inconvenient to simply delete a workflow right away even if it is an inexecutable flow.
To be specific, recently, in-device applications (scanning, sending, and printing) that can be defined as workflows are also license-managed, and some applications even provide a trial period. An e-mail sending function is an example of such a case. When the trial period of the e-mail sending function ends, all the workflows defined as the e-mail sending function end in errors. However, because there is the possibility that the license will be purchased later on, it is inconvenient if the workflows defined as such a function are deleted immediately as soon as the license has expired.